Joseph Dow's History of Hampton: THE NEW CONNECTION SEVERED, 1692

THE NEW CONNECTION SEVERED, 1692

Agents had been sent to England from Massachusetts, to solicit from the crown a new charter for that colony, which was granted. The agents had asked that it might include the New Hampshire towns, so that their connection with Massachusetts might be permanent. Many of the people of New Hampshire were in favor of such a union. But the interests of a certain London merchant were, with king William, paramount to the interests and the wishes of the people of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and the boon asked for was not granted. The newly formed connection was severed.

Some time previous to this, namely, March 1, 1692, the heirs of Mason had sold their interest in New Hampshire to Samuel Allen, the London merchant referred to in the last paragraph, for the sum of £750; and he now obtained from the sovereigns the governorship of the province for himself, and the appointment of John Usher, as lieutenant-governor. Nine councilors besides Usher, who was allowed a seat at the council-board, were named in the governor's instructions, and provision was made for three others to be added to the board. Three councilors constituted a quorum, though no business, except in extraordinary cases, was to be transacted, unless five at least were present. One of the councilors named in the instructions was Henry Green, and one of the three added to the board, Nathaniel Weare. These were the only members belonging to Hampton.

The popular notion that Usher was at this time son-in-law to Allen is incorrect, as proved by records:

John Usher, son of Hezekiah and Frances, was born in Boston, April 17, 1648. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Lidgett (who was born in the Island of Bbds [Barbadoes] November 4, 1651), on the 24th of April, 1668. She died Aug. 17, 1698, six years after Usher's appointment to the office of lieut.-governor. About seven months after her death, Usher was married to Allen's daughter, in Hampton, by Rev. John Cotton, pastor of the Hampton church. The marriage is entered thus on the church record of marriages: